PESHAWAR - Chairman Quami Watan Party, Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, has made it clear that his party would support that candidate in presidential election who is serious in resolving all the existing problems of Pashtun people in FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Addressing a press conference here at Peshawar Press Club on Sunday, Sherpao said that both the candidates of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) are respectable for them but his party will support the candidate who promises to resolve the existing issues in Pashtun belt.
He said that alliance of his party with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is only restricted to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Qaumi Watan Party would be fully independent in their policies relating to central level.
He said that after the withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan, this region will need more attention to control the law and order situation and keep proper check on terrorist elements. He said that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had great expectation from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that he would nominate presidential candidate from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but he, once again, ignored this poor province.
He stressed upon the federal government to take serious steps for restoring peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA, and must stop military operations in tribal area to resolve the issue through dialogue. He also expressed concern over the prolonged power outage in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and demanded of the federal government to ensure due quota of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
He also deplored over the unilateral decision of the Supreme Court regarding the schedule of presidential elections and said that it was necessary to hear the opinion of other political parties regarding the upcoming presidential elections.
To a question, Sherpao said that Chief Minister Parvez Khattak has expressed his willingness to convene all party conference on the issue of terrorism; however, no dateline has been given in this regard.
On this occasion, former runner-up independent candidate from PK-22, Yousaf Mohmand, announced to join Qaumi Watan Party along with his supporters. Addressing on the occasion, Mohmand said that he hoped that long awaiting demands of 25 villages of Shabqadr would be resolved from the platform of Qaumi Watan Party.